Dr. Allen Ault
What is it like to witness the darkest corners of our justice system? Dr. Allen Ault is a former warden and commissioner of corrections. He recounts his experience with the death penalty and the lasting emotional impact on those involved in the process. He also gets deeply personal about his own struggle with feelings of guilt as a result of “murdering somebody,” and his subsequent journey grappling with the moral implications of capital punishment.
Powered by RedCircle
In this episode:
The culture of the Georgia prison system.
Building relationships and trust within the system along with the prisoners.
The impact of the death penalty and the emotional toll it takes on the correctional staff.
Thoughts on why the death penalty still exists.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
Washington Post Article: The hidden victims of the death penalty: Correctional staff
Movie: There Will Be No Stay
Charity: First Christian Church Richmond, Children & Youth Ministries
Wise Words:
I hadn't expected this but when the inmate was jolted and slumped over, it really hit me hard that I had just murdered somebody because that's all you can call it. It's one of the most premeditated murders. It's all scheduled and scripted, and even the coroner's report comes back as a homicide, as a cause of death.
And murdering somebody, if you have a conscience whatsoever, really weighs heavy on you. That's what I went through on five different occasions.
You have nightmares about it. You have a severe conscience talking to you about it. Your conscience is accusing you of being a murderer. I mean, literally, you feel like you've committed a premeditated murder. A psychopath would be a good executioner because they wouldn't have those feelings, but if you have any conscience at all and you have any feelings towards your fellow man, it just bothers the hell out of you.
I've known people who were involved in executions that became totally non-functional. I mean, I have known very few who were involved in execution that it did not adversely affect them mentally. Some are damaged beyond repair.
You commit murder and that finally really hits you what you're really doing. It may be state-sanctioned, but you still are the murderer. You still gave the command. And that really hits you and your conscience.
I've forgotten who the philosopher was, but he said if you're going to seek revenge, dig two graves, one for the one avenged and one for the avenger. And it's really how you feel, that you were the avenger. But you feel like you want to die. You feel so guilty for murdering somebody.